SA Roundup: July 8

From breaking news to interesting tidbits, these stories are worth a read

Local Officials Offer Condolences Following Dallas Shooting

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus offered his condolences to the Dallas Police Department following a shooting Thursday night that left five officers dead, reports Fox San Antonio. McManus said the department is saddened by what appears to have been a planned attack against officers. He added that SAPD officers remain vigilant and that they ask citizens to report any suspicious activity. Mayor Ivy Taylor and other city officials held a press conference Friday morning to address the incident.

Boban Marjanovic Exits Spurs to Join Pistons

Free agent center Boban Marjanovic signed with the Detroit Pistons this week rather than returning to the Spurs. Marjanovic agreed to a three-year contract worth $21 million. The Spurs signed center Dewayne Dedmon to a two-year contract and also brought in Pau Gasol, writes ESPN.

San Antonio Named Friendliest City in U.S.

Travel + Leisure named San Antonio the friendliest city in the U.S., following a survey it conducted that asked people to rate cities based on their friendliness, affordability and other traits. Elsewhere in Texas, Houston came in at No. 2 and Fort Worth at No. 7.

Joaquin Castro Appointed to Intelligence Committee

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro was appointed this week to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the CIA and National Security Agency. Castro, in his second term, also serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, writes the San Antonio Express-News.

Olympic Swimming Team Makes Stop in San Antonio

The U.S. Olympic Swim Team will practice at the Northside Swim Center on July 16. There are only 4,000 tickets available for spectators and tickets can be obtained by donating a new backpack for a student in need, according to News 4 San Antonio.

One Lucky Duck to Rebrand Following Founder’s Fraud Charges

One Lucky Duck Texas, the juicing eatery located at Pearl, will close and reopen this fall as The Good Kind, writes MySA.com. The eatery is closing after its founder, celebrity chef Sarma Melngailis, was charged with multiple counts of fraud, including spending $2 million of mostly stolen money on casinos, Uber rides and more. Her brother, Noah Melngailis, runs the San Antonio store.

Animal Rights Group Files Complaint Over New SA Zoo Elephant

One World Conservation filed a formal complaint with the USDA alleging that the San Antonio Zoo’s new elephant, Nicole, came from a unit of the Ringling Bros. that was exposed to tuberculosis. A zoo spokesman has called the complaint “baseless,” according to the San Antonio Current.